Virgin Media O2 will pay for gender transition treatments for its non-binary and transgender staff as part of employee perks in new diversity strategy

[LittleWhingingWoman]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10717175/Virgin-Media-O2-pay-gender-transition-treatments-non-binary-transgender-staff.html

How bizarre. Will they be paying for menopause HRT for its women staff?

Or cancer treatments?

Or is it only for the special Rainbow people?

Wow. That’s sinister as fuck.

Strikes Virgin off the list.

I actually think this is unwise strategically. In time, many people (I accept not all) will regret some of the extreme things they have been persuaded to do to their bodies. I wouldn’t want to be a business that did this.

They were already waaaay off my list tbf. But this is just creepy on a whole new level.

So could I get a breast reduction? Or is it just full mastectomies that are available?

If I need a hysterectomy for medical reasons will they fund that? Or is it only the removal of a healthy uterus that can be funded?

Could get expensive.

It's always only the special rainbow people.

That's sickening

Do they mean they offer private healthcare and this would included under that, totally fine if so. Otherwise I'd like my macectomy covered please.

What about people with physical disabilities getting funding for adapting their homes, or for getting an adapted vehicle, or a better wheelchair? Or is that not a diversity priority?

OMG. Unbelievable.

Wonder if they’re going to cover the cost of staff prescriptions for HRT/antibiotics etc?

I agree with tabby. This reminds me of law firms who pay for women to freeze their eggs, rather than provide a balanced workplace where working until you drop in your best fertile years is the norm and all else is a failure.

It's a step way too far into employees' personal lives, as well as what you could reasonably expect of an employer. Wrong in both directions. This initiative will backfire at some point.

@RoseslnTheHospital

What about people with physical disabilities getting funding for adapting their homes, or for getting an adapted vehicle, or a better wheelchair? Or is that not a diversity priority?

I'd hope that it does mean that. Or digital hearing aids for their employees with hearing loss. Good, lightweight spectacles. There's a mass of stuff that I'd hope they're now funding for people with disabilities.

I trust they've got the basics down pat such as parental leave, carers' leave etc.

Will they be paying for menopause HRT for its women staff?

This was my first thought, especially given the shortage of Hormone REPLACEMENT Therapy at the moment, and the medical necessity for many women to have it, in order to keep functioning as employers want us to function.

Because we know being trans or non-binary is not a medical or a health condition. Oh no no no no.

"I trust they've got the basics down pat such as parental leave, carers' leave etc."

Quite. I am pessimistic on that front.

I wonder how far their allyship/inclusive employment roles go.

Do they have arbitrary 9/5 hours so parents have to pay fir wrap around care instead of doing 10-6 and taking theor lunch break at 3 so they can pick kids up from school ?

Sufficient accessibility?

Free San.pro in the womens loos?

Assistance with costs for hrt for menopausal women so not reliant on nhs and subject to medication postcode lotteries?

They chip in for all the physio.therapists right ?

Occupational therapists?

What's their maternity package?

Blimey. I need to renegotiate our package with them, but on reading this I'll just switch to someone else.

How does a non-binary position "transition"?

@BootsAndRoots

How does a non-binary position "transition"?

It's a little bit Lady Macbeth unsex me here for some NBs. It's not transitioning but the removal of secondary sexual characteristics, iirc for those who desire surgery, or it might be medical intervention (some hormones) for those who want to go that route. E.g., there seems to be a desire to believe belief that it's plausible to customise a T dose sufficiently to deepen a voice and change a jawline but not create MPB.

It seems there is a desire for some for genital nullification.

The removal of genital structures with preservation of the urethra to allow for voiding of urine.

However, there are many variations.

www.mymarinhealth.org/programs-services/surgery-procedures/surgical-specialties/gender-affirmation-surgery/nonbinary-gender-affirming-surgery/

Another company to avoid!

Will Virgin become liable for care / compensation / reconstruction if they detransition too?

Imagine working there and having to listen to all that ‘ally’ stuff.

Who has time to do their actual job?

Some private health policies do cover gender dysphoria (usually premium levels of cover which if available to all staff would mean better cover across the board). I’d question whether they would cover anyone who already had a pre-existing diagnosis of GD. Otherwise the company could take out the cover knowing that they had an employee who wanted to transition privately at a cost of £50 grand or whatever and get the insurer to pay for it. This isn’t the point of insurance which is to cover you for unforeseen future events.

It’s potentially a bit less shit if it’s done by improving private healthcare for all. Otherwise it’s just another example of giving help to one group while ignoring the additional needs of others.

Virgin Media O2 also aims to achieve equal representation of men and women in its wider leadership team and to have 'driven forward progress for gender parity, including all gender identities and expressions across the organisation'.

I wonder what this means for women employed by Virgin?

This is increasingly common. I agree with the comparison with hrt and ivf as in why the one and not the others (one big reason is cost of course-2 women undergo menopause, ivf, trans people who want surgery must be a much much smaller number so this is an affordable add on that ticks a lot of diversity points) but still think there are more important things to focus on. If anything I think the more accessible surgery is to professional adults the more obvious it will be when adults choose not to have it. I’m making a snap judgment call there that being able to hold down a job for what’s presumably a qualifying period increases the chance this is a considered decision, but i have seen data somewhere showing transitioned are happier IF they are over a certain age and income when transitioning.